Confirmation that this is a Ducati of a certain era: 1) randomly won’t start if you look at it funny….2) throws fork oil all over my garage floor….3) almost impossible to ride slowly…..4) sounds like thunder, not in anyway subtle…..5) it has receipts for literally £10’s thousands that idiots like me have thrown at it…..6) so fast that whenever you go out on it, you arrive before you left!….7) gets a ridiculous audience whenever you stop …..8) less comfortable than any torture techniques……9) absolute joy……and that is why I love the brand, a machine of absolute chaos and happiness!
I don't love the brand. There are far too many models that don't fit your description nowadays, but I do love all those that score at least a six out nine!
I think everyone would like to own one, but most people look in awe at those brave/mad souls and think "in another life maybe". There is just no other bike that screams "I am trouble, but more fun than you can imagine".
This is why they charge you £10 for a fucking o-ring. This is why poor quality endures. Ducati as a brand is more important than the product? Not for me.
I'm not Ducatisti. Just a guy who has 2 Ducati's. The only branded items I own are the bikes. I aint no bellboy.
The Ducati brand is a lot like my wife if I'm honest. There are other models out there and they all do a similar thing but just in different ways. I also understand that there other models out there who can do a lot of things better than the one I have. Sure I can trade her in and get another because I don't like something that she does and I've heard that this model doesn't, does not mean that I won't ever find something wrong with the new one or it may develop that annoying whine at some point. (I also know that while she's not a feather weight she does everything with flair and has a fantastic top end )
The Ducati brand is a lot like my wife as well When I first saw her I had to have her. Everyone said how lucky I was, some even said how brave. She really does not like rain or cold weather and looks best in the sunshine. She definitely has not lost her classic looks. There are of course the occasional misfires and maintenance can be an issue. I am I think with this brand for life.
I don't. In fact I'm not sure if I even like my bike, but I've got it and can't be bothered swapping. The community surrounded the brand is first class, including here on the forum, but the dealers are the worst out there and I just can't accept premium pricing (bikes, service and parts) for the poor standard I've only ever received.
I see this a lot including the US forums. I can only ever say I have had a faultless dealership experience. Not saying the bikes were ever without issue, but the way it was handled has always been a winner for me. Even collecting my trashed Panigale after a low side at a track which they never had an obligation to do. I do think this can be a make or break factor though in Ducati ownership. I've never really strayed due to lack of support from the likes of MV and Aprillia all the way up to the ignorance of BMW sales personnel.
Can't disagree. Previous ownership was good (20 years ago) but wouldn't buy another. I think it's sometimes the regularity of purchase builds relationships, but they won't get that from me.
Warning! old hippy fart about to talk rubbish and steadily ease into a rant... ho hum. In the late 70s early 80s when I bought my Darmah, Ducati was seen as making bikes that had character & dare I say it 'soul'. Qualities that were (are) impossible to define and if you tried they would immediately lose their power. Like trying to explaining why a joke is funny. Many other Italian marques fitted into the same category, Moto Guzzi, Morini, Laverda etc and way way out in the stratosphere MV Augusta. They were seen as individualist's machines, different from the majority & their UJMs which for me was a major part of the attraction. And if they were ever thought of as a brand then my interest would have ended there - can a brand have soul? However much, if not all, of what we buy & consume nowadays seems to have a defined brand image that allows the consumer to then hang their hat on and use it to help define their own character & image. So fair enough, buy a Ducati or what ever, but not because of the perceived image a bunch of marketing men have dreamt up but because it gives you pleasure. To ride, to own, to maintain & to give a little glance & smile back to when shutting up the garage.
